Bright Minds is excited to announce that we have awarded 21 Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) educators over $28,000 in grants for classroom and instructional projects aimed at enhancing student achievement, engagement, and wellbeing during the 2024-2025 school year. The projects will be delivered in 30 schools and are expected to impact approximately 4,300 students. Bright Mind’s partnership with Blossoms of Hope will fund 7 of the grants which are focused on youth mental health and wellbeing.

These grants are offered in recognition of HCPSS educators as incredible resources to identify innovative instructional approaches that address unique community or classroom needs and enhance student learning. Bright Minds Classroom Innovation Project grants seek to support student success, enrich teaching practices, strengthen school communities, and pilot important classroom and school projects. This year’s grants are made possible by generous funding received by Bright Minds from The Kahlert Foundation, Sheehy Toyota of Laurel, and Blossoms of Hope.

The 2024 grant recipients and their projects are:

• Elizabeth Arbaugh, Guilford Park High School, Creative Problem Solving with LEGOS
• Kristen Bacon & Marianne Thayer, Glenelg High School, Drumagination
• Dawn Currie-Scott & Phil Johnson, Glenelg High School, Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Biological Discovery, Ethics and Local History
• Morgan Foos, Burleigh Manor Middle School, Getting Ready for 6th Grade
• Julia Harris, Cradlerock Elementary School, Headphone for Students
• Rick Hollenbeck, Mount View Middle School, Enhancing Learning Through Digital Engagement
• Kelly Kessler, Homewood Center, Centered on Students: Coming Together as a Homewood Center Community
• David Klotz, Guilford Park High School, TechHands: STEM Innovation with Vernier
• Micah Levine, Clarksville Elementary School, Creating the Future With Ozobots!
• Jill Lieberman, Ilchester Elementary School, Listening Centers for Kindergarten
• Donna MacDonald, Cedar Lane School, Equity, Accessibility & Empowerment of Special Needs Students through 3-D Technology
• Ashleigh Magrin, Oakland Mills High School, Oakland Mills Food Pantry
• Amy Mongano, Mt. Hebron High School, Hydroponics in the Classroom
• Liz Morath & Jocelyn Salinas, Worthington Elementary School, Sensory Soothing Classrooms
• William Perez & Kim Kennedy, Hanover Hills Elementary School, Running Start to Lifetime Fitness!
• Brittany Robey, Homewood Center, Homewood for Horses
• Dallas Rosenthal, Cedar Lane School, Seeds of Greatness
• Lori Rudolph, HCPSS Vision Services, From Soup to Nuts: Empowering Students with Visual Impairments in Independent Living Skills through Experiential Learning Beginning with Cooking
• Meghan Walker, Oakland Mills Middle School, Lights, CAMERA, Action!
• Michael Zoltoski & Kathy Wojcik, Applications and Research Lab (ARL), Landscape Architecture Project
• Civil Engineering Academy, Applications and Research Laboratory (ARL), Concrete Canoe Challenge

Grant recipients were recognized at a Howard County Board of Education meeting on September 26, 2024.

About Bright Minds staff and teacher grants:
Since 2009, Bright Minds has provided over $247,000 to staff and teacher grants in support of classroom innovation projects. These projects have focused on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); diversity and inclusion; business and entrepreneurship; civic awareness; fine arts; and other topics. Learn more about our staff and teacher grants program.

Contributions to the staff and teacher grant program can be made HERE.

About Bright Minds
Bright Minds Foundation works to ensure that each student has access to the education, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed at school and in life. We bring together community support for programs and initiatives that increase education access, equity, and innovation. Bright Minds programs respond to urgent and ongoing needs of students in four key areas: literacy and school readiness; digital inclusion and access to learning; education innovation and teacher support; and college access. Learn more about Bright Minds.